Free Republic

To: National Desk Contact: Trevor Fitzgibbon, 212-584-5000 ext. 210; or Jessica Smith, 202-822-5200 ext. 234 WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a statement by former Vice President Al Gore: "The Administration's response to my speech illustrates perfectly the need for a special counsel to review the legality of the NSA wiretapping program. The Attorney General is making a political defense of the President without even addressing the substantive legal questions that have so troubled millions of Americans in both political parties. "There are two problems with the Attorney General's effort to focus attention on the past instead of...

COLTON - Calling teaching the nation's "most important work," Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry on Thursday unveiled a $30 billion, 10-year initiative to increase teacher pay while imposing stricter standards on instructors. The Massachusetts senator, on the second day of a two-day Southern California campaign swing, called for a "new bargain" for teachers and children that would recruit and retain 500,000 teachers over four years. "Children and schools together have been abandoned by misplaced priorities," he told students, teachers and supporters at San Bernardino County's Colton High School. "And teachers, the front-line troops in too many battlegrounds in our country,...

<p>TUCKER CARLSON, the bow-tied conservative of CNN's "Crossfire" chats with Elle magazine this month, on the subject of women and sex. Carlson says "One area of liberal phenomenon I support is female bi-sexuality - this apparent increased willingness of girls to bring along a friend. That's a pretty good thing."</p>